McGinnis: Get “Left Behind”: New “Last of Us” content is as memorable — and important — as the main game

Strange, such beauty to be found in such a derelict world. Of all the places video games have taken players over the years — from the furthest reaches of space to the inner workings of the mind, from the diabolical test chambers of Aperture Science to the dingy streets of Gotham City — few have stayed with me as long as the vacant streets of Naughty Dog’s apocalyptic tale “The Last of Us.”

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The 2013 PlayStation 3 title, which has won hundreds of “Game of the Year” awards, features some of the most memorable locales ever created for a game. In a world where a horrific fungal infection has wiped out the majority of the human race, once bustling cities have long since been abandoned. Moss overgrows walls and streets are flooded from disrepair. Windows long broken invite in overgrowing plants, allowing nature to once more claim areas vacated by human caretakers. This is a foreboding, terrifying place, where one can never truly feel safe. But it is impossible to walk the streets of this abandoned world and not be struck by the artistry that it took to create it.

As such, one of the great pleasures of the new single-player downloadable addition to “The Last of Us,” entitled “Left Behind” (released on February 14), is the ability to immerse one’s self in that world once more, seeing new locales colored with that sense of beauty mixed with dread. But the real star of this 2-3 hour adventure is Ellie, the main game’s second protagonist who here takes center stage and establishes herself as one of the most compelling and, in some ways, important characters in gaming history.

In the original game, players mainly control Joel, a middle-aged survivor who is charged with escorting Ellie across the country. Then, about halfway through the game, the narrative suddenly shifts and gamers find themselves playing for a while as Ellie, whose own story comes more solidly to the forefront. In “Left Behind,” though, Ellie is the star and sole focus, in a tale which takes place both prior to and during the events of the main game.

The narrative of the new content shifts back and forth from controlling Ellie at a crucial moment during “Last of Us,” and to events taking place months prior, as Ellie steals away with her friend Riley on an adventure into a nearby shopping mall. Each half of the story feeds and stands in stark contrast to the other — we flash from the relatively carefree fun Ellie and Riley experience as they share each other’s company, to the desperate efforts of Ellie to save Joel’s life.

But there is drama to be found in the Ellie and Riley dynamic, as well. The backstory of these two friends was fleshed out in a “Last of Us” tie-in comic called “American Dreams” last year, but the events of this story make Riley a crucial character in the main tale, spelling out how her relationship with Ellie shaped who she became during her journey with Joel. And though we may know the basic facts of what happened to the two of them before “The Last of Us” begins, this story still has some remarkable surprises in store for us. (The implications of “Left Behind”‘s revelations may turn out to be some of the most crucial events in modern gaming history — but because they are very spoiler-ific, I will refrain from elaborating. For now.)

The controls and gameplay remain largely unchanged from the main title, with shooting, melee skills and crafting remaining second nature to anyone who has played the original game. There are subtle differences in Ellie’s combat as she fights off hordes of infected and villainous looters alike, such as her adeptness with a switchblade knife, but in large part veteran players will feel right at home. But there are also fun new additions as Ellie and Riley explore the abandoned mall, with throwing competitions, a photo booth and even a water gun fight adding unique and memorable variations to the formula.

Many gamers have a justifiably jaded attitude toward downloadable add-ons to games they’ve already bought, and “Left Behind”‘s $14.99 price tag indeed seems a little steep for what amounts to a few additional hours of play. But so crucial is this tale to “Last of Us”‘s main narrative and so memorable are the particulars of these characters that it feels less like an add-on than an essential part of the “Last of Us” experience. For players who have already wandered streets with Ellie and Joel, flabbergasted by the wonder that could be found in such ruin, “Left Behind” is a journey that is well worth taking.

May I have this Batdance?

Jim Beard, who writes about comics for us and is racking up industry credits faster than you can say “Shazam!” approached me two years ago at a Mud Hens Opening Day party and asked if I would be interested in contributing a 10,000-word chapter about “Batman music” to a book he was editing.

I thought, “That’s easy. Prince, Danny Elfman, U2, lots of people have contributed to Batman soundtracks and scores.” Jim said, “No, I mean the ‘Batman’ TV show theme.”

I grew up on the graphic novel “Dark Knight” Batman who was grim and bloody and used scary versions of Joker and the villains. But being a father has led to my rediscovering the 1966 TV show as a way to introduce the character to my kids in a gentle, humorous way.

The best thing about the book Jim has assembled, “Gotham City 14 Miles,” is that it offers a critical eye, not just a love-fest. For my chapter, I had to listen to a lot of cheesy, poorly produced music, and Jim gave me the freedom to be critical when it was called for.

Listening to Burt Ward, who played Robin, warbling Nat “King” Cole’s “Orange-Colored Sky” was a unique punishment. But I also discovered versions of the theme recorded by The Who, Sun Ra and Peggy Lee. By the time I was done, I had an iPod file with nearly 300 “Batman” tracks from 1960s.

The driving theme from “Batman” symbolizes the best of the 1966 TV show if you are a fan and the worst if you are not. It evokes and summarizes every climbed wall, every Joker laugh, Riddler giggle and Penguin quack, every Pow! and Biff! and Bam! It can sum up the middle of the decade as well as any quote or image. The theme echoes and drives with the insistence of a right hook from Batman himself.

It leaps forward with an unhinged whirling-cyclone string introduction and segues to a Duane-Eddy-on-speed guitar assault; brass accentuates the kinetic rhythm in tuneless bursts, a “Ticket to Ride” drumroll kicks into a chanting chorus, and the production builds to a “na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na” climax. It lasts barely 50 seconds, but it has defined a character for more than 40 years.

The recording of “Batman Theme” won Neal Hefti a 1966 Grammy for Best Instrumental Theme, placed versions by two artists in the Billboard Top 40 (Neal Hefti reached No. 35 and The Marketts placed No. 17), inspired complete albums of original music and the creation of one-shot groups (The Sensational Batboys and Bruce and the Robin Rockers) and was named the fifth-best TV theme by rock critic Dave Marsh’s “Book of Rock Lists.”

In its heyday, music legends as disparate as Mel Torme, Frank Zappa, Link Wray, Sun Ra and Peggy Lee would toy with the “Batman Theme,” and musicians continue to be fascinated with it; Iggy Pop, The Jam, and the Smithereens have all recorded it, and Prince, who would have his own 1989 dance with Bat-music, has said Neal Hefti’s theme was the first piece of music he learned to play on the piano.

That is a heavy, serious legacy for such a modest composition, but equitable to the effort Neal Hefti said it took to create it.

The night the series premiered on ABC, January 12, 1966, Hal Lifson was 5 years old. Lifson, author of “1966! A Personal View of the Greatest Year in Pop Culture History,” said in a Sept. 3, 2009, interview for the book that promos for the show had run for months and caught his attention.

“I watched that first night,” Lifson said. “There had been nothing like ‘Batman.’ There were old ‘Adventures of Superman’ reruns with George Reeves, ‘Zorro’ in reruns, ‘The Lone Ranger,’ but no modern superhero like Batman. It took pop art and TV to a new level; it was existential and existed with no apology or explanation.”

Lifson credits the show’s theme song for much of its pop culture impact.

“It was brilliant music, the ‘Batman Theme.’ What made that song was the drumbeat, that go-go flavor with the chorus of women and horns mixed,” Lifson said. “It set the mood of triumph and fun. It was magical when you heard it. It was like blowing a bugle and you knew Batman would come rushing out of the Batcave. I would use The Ventures’ version as the soundtrack when I played Batman with my buddies. It was great background music for capturing arch-villains and staging mock Bat-fights, which included jumping off my bed into the melee.”

Helping the “Batman Theme” thunder roll was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Hal Blaine, who played on tracks with Elvis, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys and on more than 30 No. 1 records. Blaine sat behind the kit for Neal Hefti on his original “Batman Theme” album.

In a Sept. 14, 2009, interview for the book, Blaine said he played drums on a number of different versions of the song.

“Batman was a stellar classic,” Blaine said. “As far as fitting into my legacy, it was one of the great sort of novelty albums that I had the pleasure of doing during my fortunate career.”

There was one unforeseen side effect to living with all this Bat-music; once my 2- and 4-year-old sons heard the TV theme, they demanded to hear it on car rides again and again and again. That song is drilled into my brain like my own name; it’s enough to drive you batty.

“Gotham City 14 Miles” is available to order through Monarch Cards & Comics, (419) 382-1451.

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